Idiot Prince
by Ashokex
Summary: Ed is forced to watch over Ling after Mustang finds out about the rebirth of Greed, but his new side isn't what either of them expected... Rated M for future lemon!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Edward Elric is forced to babysit the heir-to-the-throne Ling Yao after Colonel Roy Mustang finds out about the rebirth of Greed, but the new side of Ling is not what either expected.** ** _Especially_** **for Ed.**

 **Ships: GreedLing/Ed, Hinted-Winry/Ed, & Slight May/Alphonse**

 **Warnings: YAOI (boyxboy), swearing, blood/gore, implied gang affiliation, implied suicide & lemon in the later chapters**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or any of the characters!**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

"You _what?!_ "

Everything was relatively quiet and peaceful in Central Command that late afternoon, with the occasional bustling of soldiers running in and out, until a certain blonde midget and his tin-can brother came barreling through the door of Colonel Mustang's office, the one-armed Alchemist holding a crumpled letter signed by the onyx-haired Colonel.

"What's the matter? You were assigned to watch Ling for me. Can't you read cursive?" Roy blinked, glancing up from his paperwork to gaze at the two Elric brothers and his shattered door.

"Yes, I can read cursive!" Ed, the younger Alchemist, barked as Alphonse desperately tried to put the door back together using his alchemy. "But that ain't the point! Why am _I_ being assigned to babysit that idiot prince?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The Flame Alchemist shuffled his papers into a neat stack as he talked, watching as Hawkeye tried to help the younger brother put the door back on its hinges without it breaking again. "We need you to watch his behavior. You said you saw Ling gain a Philosopher's Stone from Father when you came back from Gluttony's stomach, correct?"

"Yeah," The Fullmetal Alchemist settled his sudden agitation to answer his question, "what about it?"

"Ever since Ling gained Greed, he's been acting strange, hasn't he?"

"...Yeah?"

"We need you to keep an eye on him to make sure he's still suitable to be the prince of Xing. If the boy is unstable, there's no _real_ way he can lead his country properly without his avarice side making a scene and ruining his image globally. I've informed his family about your stay."

"You can't be serious!" The blonde teen complained, slamming the paper face-down on his desk, causing Al to jump from where he was standing with the sudden rattle of the oak. "Can't his family make that decision on their own?!"

"They don't know that he has this side of him." Hawkeye answered for her Colonel as she took a seat on the leather couch, "Greed is craftier than we thought."

"Don't worry," Mustang sighed and stood from his seat, easily towering over the angry Alchemist, "you can bring Alphonse with you, if you want."

"That's not the point." He shook his head in reply, "What do I get for being your 'little spy'?"

"A raise."

"Not enough."

"You still owe me five-hundred-and-twenty cents, Fullmetal. Don't think you're gonna get a hefty payment."

 _Penny-pincher_ , Ed grumbled in his head, slouching over a little in defeat. "...Fine, I'll take it."

"Great," Mustang smiled and walked around the corner of his desk, causing his trusted adversary to get to her feet and join his side as he approached the door, "pack your things, Fullmetal, Alphonse, and meet us outside at the car...And stop pouting like a small child. You'll get over it." He glanced towards the State Alchemist before slipping out the door with his partner trailing behind him.

" _WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A SMALL CHILD, YOU SONUVA-_ " The door shut behind Hawkeye before Ed could finish his angry wailing at Mustang's back, and all that could be heard was the muffled, rage-filled screaming from the other side of the door.

* * *

"Come on, Brother!" Alphonse's body-less voice called out to him, ringing in the empty suit of armor his soul had been bound to since they were little, as he squeezed his broad shoulders through the door frame of the car's backseat entrance and just managing to pin himself against the other side of the automobile to make room for the State Alchemist, the whole car creaking and rocking against his shifting weight. By the time the Elric brothers had begun packing, the sun was sinking down below the city heights, the shadows devouring its remaining light and replacing the streets and alleys with a looming darkness. They knew they wouldn't make it to Xing before midnight, or even later than that. Edward was already exhausted from a day of handling paperwork and managing to watch out for the other Homunculus, and he didn't feel like crossing the Eastern Desert at such a late time.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..." The older Elric exhaled and threw his luggage bag into the trunk along with Al's, closing the hatch before wriggling into the space provided to him by his bulky brother. "...C'mon, Al! Scoot over!"

"I can't! I'm gonna fall out!" His brother shot back quickly as Ed shut the door, causing the engine of the car to start up.

"We're gonna take a route provided by Ishval." Mustang explained from the driver's side as the car, steering the car out of the plaza and into a main road, "I was planning to make a trade route through Ishval trough the Xingese border, if I can get a pact with the emperor. It'd be much faster than taking the Eastern Desert." The Colonel explained his plans, boring the two brothers immediately, but peeking interest in his Lieutenant, who was on the passenger side.

As the two in the front began to go on about politics involving the Clans that inhabited Xing, Alphonse turned his attention to his brother, who was gazing out the window longingly.

"...Is something wrong, Brother?" He gently poked his shoulder, getting his attention with a small jolt.

"Well, it's just...we haven't seen Ling in so long...I wonder how much he's grown over the months." Ed shrugged, trying to shoulder off the conversation with an easy excuse of worry by height, but it didn't pass easily with his younger brother.

"You're thinking about Winry, again, aren't you?"

"What?! How can you tell?"

"You get that distant, soul-searchy look in your eyes when you think about her." Al pointed to Ed's expression, causing the brother to wrinkle his nose a little at his index finger, "You miss her, don't you?"

" _Pfft!_ Of course not!" Ed snorted insensitively, "She's busy with other things, y'know? Of course I'll worry about her sometimes, but...maybe I'm just not used to her constant company and always having my back." He rubbed his automail shoulder from beneath his scarlet cloak, almost as if he could feel her repairing his right arm _yet again,_ like she always did, no matter what the damage was, with some minor complaints and scolding about how he should keep better care of his substitute limbs. Sometimes, though, he _did_ miss her. She was his childhood friend, and she was there for him when he lost an arm and a leg. She helped him heal emotionally and physically from his mother's death, and the loss of Alphonse's body, and yet he always took her for granite.

Now that she was away on a trip, Winry was on his mind a lot. Maybe it was better that he took this trip to Xing, to get his mind off things...

"Hey, do you think we'll see May?" Al suddenly asked excitedly, hearing the grin in his disembodied voice bringing a smile to Ed's own features.

"No doubt about it, Al." The blonde chuckled, "We should drop by the Chang clan and pay her and Xiao-Mei a visit after we're done with this mission. How does that sound?"

"Yeah!" The younger chirped, before the two fell silent in their own thoughts, watching as the familiar city of Amestris vanished behind them, and their long journey stretched far ahead of them, beyond the empty plains of the Eastern Desert.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Woooooaaah!_ Look at the size of this place, Brother! Aren't you grateful we came out here now?"

The two brothers, the Colonel and his Lieutenant had _finally_ made it to the Xing palace, after two days of traveling an endless sea of sand that made up the Eastern Desert, much to the dismay of using a short cut through Ishbal. Mustang and Riza weren't welcomed there to begin with, after being soldiers in the civil war on Ishbal, and the Four Musketeers had to narrowly escape the broken village without getting gunned down. And although Alphonse was excited to set foot on unfamiliar territory, knowing he had friends in this place, Edward was _not_ enjoying himself so far.

"No," the alchemist grunted, taking off his left leather boot and dumping out sand onto the paved road as they stepped out of the vehicle, "I've got pounds of sand in my shoes after _someone_ forgot to fill up the car before we left!" He shot a menacing glare to Roy, who simply ignored him and turned his attention to the palace that towered over the Yao clan village. It stood tall and proud, glittering with scarlet shingles and gold decor that drew attention to the eyes of people when sunlight made its beauty sparkle.

"Is this where we're staying?" Al asked, his voice sounding awe-struck by the sheer size of the royal complex as he handed Mustang his luggage.

"I'm afraid so," the Flame Alchemist blinked and fixed his coat with a free hand, locking up the car as everyone grabbed their things and began heading to the front of the palace, where the man they had planned to see was standing, his two nimble-spirited guards, Lan Fan and Fu, posted on top of two pillars at the gate of the palace, watching the four closely.

 _They never let him out of their sight, do they?_ Ed gazed up at the two, before focusing on the ponytailed teen with a small glare.

"Ed, Al, Colonel!" Ling called out to them, waving to them as he hopped off the steps of the palace, waiting as the group crossed the empty courtyard and met with him at the bottom stair, Mustang the first to greet him with a firm handshake.

"Good to see you again, Ling." Roy nodded, before personally introducing Riza to the prince, "This is my lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye." He gently clasped his hand on the woman's shoulder, pushing her forward.

"It's a pleasure to be in your company, your Highness." She dipped her head respectfully, causing the heir to bark a small laugh.

"Please, Lieutenant," he chuckled, motioning her to straighten up, "you can call me by my first name, Ling."

"...Of course, Hi-Ling." Hawkeye nodded in understanding, before watching as the Fullmetal Alchemist weaseled his way between the two high-ranked soldiers to get a better look at the Yao emperor.

"I remember you. _You gonna call me a runt again, Ling?_ " He growled, bristling like a cat at his hairline, causing the dark-haired Xingese to raise an eyebrow as he stared down at the blonde.

"...Depends. Are you going to call me an idiot, _runt_?" The prince purposely spat the last word, watching in amusement as the younger Elric had to hold back the angered midget and his flailing limbs. Ling turned to the Colonel, seeing the expression vastly different from his, as if he were about to catch both the brothers on fire for their rude behavior in front of royalty.

"My Lord." A feminine voice cut through the angered screaming from Fullmetal, a tone whisked through the breeze, but strong like the energy it carried through the air; Lan Fan leaped off her post and nimbly stepped to her master's side, dodging the alchemist's metal fist and catching his left one, before twisting it in a dangerous angle, drawing a pained shriek from Ed and a worried cry from Al.

"Right," Ling nodded, "where are my manners? Please, all of you, come inside. You've had a long journey to get here, so I believe all of you need some rest and time to get settled." With his words, Lan Fan let go of Edward's human arm and followed beside him, joined by her grandfather, Fu, as they headed into the palace, the small group following behind with Alphonse carrying his older brother to make sure he didn't slug a good one into the prince's back.

 _This is gonna be a long two weeks_ , Ed sighed, hanging limply in his brother's plated arms.

* * *

"Brother, look at our room! We've never stayed anywhere even _close_ to looking this nice!" Alphonse chirped excitedly as he set down their luggage bags and Ed on to the bed of their shared room, his empty helmet glancing around the abode. While the two brothers shared one room, Mustang and Hawkeye had separate rooms placed right next to each other for convenience, to prevent any unnecessary "acts of the night", which was unlikely to happen anyways between the two trusted partners, but the royal family liked to take precautions. Besides, they would only be staying for two nights before driving back to Amestris, leaving the pair of misfits to handle Ling, or _Greed,_ by themselves.

"Sure is nice, huh?" Ed agreed and flopped onto the bed lazily, not bothering to start unpacking; he was too exhausted from the long drive across the empty desert. He just wanted to nap the weeks away and go back home to Winry and Pinako. "Makes you wanna stay here for-"

 _Mrrow._

"..."  
"..."

The Fullmetal Alchemist sat up slowly, gazing over to the tin-can of a brother as he quickly turned his back to him, trying to hide something.

" _Al, if you brought a cat all the way from Ishbal, I'm gonna-_ "

"I-I don't have a cat, I swear!"

"Then what are you hiding?!" Alphonse turned back around to face his brother, defeated by his own lie, revealing a tiny kitten perched delicately on the crest of his chest plate.

"I couldn't leave him there all by himself! He was hungry and cold..." Al spoke with a gentle tone, softly petting the petite cat's fur with a single finger. Ed could've sworn he felt a vein pop out of his forehead at the two.

"You idiot!" The alchemist jumped off the bed, reaching up hopelessly to grab the cat from his _much_ taller brother, who inevitably turned away from his reach, "We can't keep a cat! Go put him back where you found him!"

"But, Brother!"

" _Don't make me get out the can-opener!_ "

"You actually packed that thing?!"

"Hand him over, and you'll find out!"

"No, Ed-!"

A rapping of knuckles on their door ceased the brotherly quarrel, and, while Ed was distracted, Al quickly tucked the cat back into his armor.

"Fullmetal," Mustang's familiar voice rang through the iron and cedar wood door, "it's me. Can I come in?" His voice was oddly low, giving suspicion to the two brothers as the older alchemist in the room approached the door, leaning his automail shoulder on the doorframe.

"I dunno," Ed chimed childishly, " _what's the password?_ "

"Damnit, Fullmetal," Roy sighed heavily, rattling the locked doorknob, "this is no time for games! Let me in!"

"Fine, fine." The blonde exhaled in defeat as Al silently scolded him for keeping the colonel locked out, and turned the deadbolt, opening the door for the older man to step in.

"I need you to spy on Ling for me." The raven-haired Flame Alchemist immediately assigned without even stepping past the threshold, earning a confused grimace from the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Already?" Edward blinked in surprise, "Why? Aren't we still settling in? ...And what about his guards he always has beside him?"

"Try to avoid them as best you can." Roy glanced over the short blonde's head to see the walking-talking suit of armor playing with a small cat on the red-velvet floor, "You're gonna need to be extra stealthy for this, so leave your brother."

"...What do you need me to do?"

"Just spy on him. Try not to get too physical, and stay out of sight. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can!" The young alchemist boasted quietly, almost sounding offended.

"Good." Mustang nodded and adjusted his white-pressed gloves, in which Ed noticed that he had transmutation circles printed on them; he was wearing his ignition gloves. "I trust you won't get us _all_ killed."


	3. Chapter 3

In the darkness that had its interlude only in the stomach of the night, the shadows held perfect cover for Edward, as he hid in its curtains perched high above on the support beams of the palace ceiling. He stayed out of the moonlight that cut through the black mist and avoided the windows, so that his automail wrist wouldn't catch light and cast it off onto the ground, potentially exposing his position and ruining the plan. He crept along the rafters, slithering his way stealthily down the hall and towards a pair of two large oak doors with dragons engraved on its smooth surface, light ebbing from the cracks in the doorframe from inside where he presumed Ling was harbored. Swinging his legs over the side of the rafter he was crouched on for a few moments to adjust the scenario in his head, he clung his arms to the support beam before slipping off and falling nimbly, immediately taking cover in the shadow of the hall, where he tried to tune in to the low murmurs inside the room.

"...For a specific purpose, I know it!" Was all the blonde could make out, the voice coming from elderly vocals, beginning to assume it was one of the black-dressed guards, before the voices ducked low again.

 _Damn it,_ Ed shifted closer to the door, leaning in and trying to catch more of the exchange of quiet words, _if I try to get any closer, they'll know I'm here._ He scooted even closer, leaning in more and more until his ear was pressed against the door, but it seemed to more he got closer to the room, the more their words became hushed. He could only estimate _two_ voices from where he was standing, one much youthful than the crackly, withered one.

 _Wait a minute..._

The Fullmetal Alchemist noticed a shift of shadows from the corner of his eyes, and he whipped around with his metal fist balled up, ready for his knuckles to drive right into the face of the other that lingered in the cloak of night, but his punch was caught half-way by another quick hand.

"Eavesdropping isn't polite, you know..." A mysterious voice purred, wearing a tone of seduction and amusement, the amethyst eyes of the beholder glowing in the darkness like a hungry predator's, gazing down at the smaller. Out of fear, the Elric brother ripped his fist out of his grip swiftly and skipped back into the silver light that poured onto the hallway floor, trying to use himself as bait to lure to animal into the light...but he already had his suspicions on who the predator was.

" _Greed._ "

"You guessed it, baby!" Stepping out from the shadows was no-doubt the spitting image of Ling Yao, but the attitude, composure, and voice gave away the identity of the dark entity that usual hid its face from others; it was Greed, the Avarice One. "Sorry to intrude on... _whatever_ you were doin' around here, but don't you think it's past your bedtime, little one?"

" _DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!_ " The alchemist screeched out of comical anger, using his alchemy to morph his automail arm into his signature go-to weapon, ripping up his sleeve in the process, and lunging at Greed. Out of his blind rage, he forgot about Greed's Ultimate Shield, and the man rearranged carbon onto his forearms before Ed could process, deflecting the blade.

"Oh, misbehaving, are we?" The avarice smirked, raking his carbon-reinforced nails across the smaller's substitute arm, "Fine. I guess we can play for a lil' while."

As Ed aimed a high kick into his opponent's jaw, Greed's reflexes acted quicker and gave him the upper hand, grabbing his ankle when the rubber sole touched his cheek. Twisting his body around, he threw the blonde over his shoulder and across the hall, creating distance from the room where the two royal guards retired so that he wouldn't have them interfere.

Ed landed harshly on his shoulder with a heavy thud, grunting and sucking in the pain before rolling off his shoulder and jumping nimbly to his toes, right before Greed struck at him across with his lethal claws, drawing beads of blood through the tattered front of his clothes as he strained the scratches blocking another attack with his metal arm. Stripping weight from his figure, he shouldered off his scarlet cloak, letting it fall to the velvet floor before retaliating on the other. He locked their arms together and pulled backwards, letting Greed fall into his reeled-up iron knee, drawing a grunt from him and a quick escape of breath from the other's lungs.

"Where's Ling?" The Fullmetal Alchemist questioned quickly while the other was still winded, but got nothing but a chuckle for an answer.

"What are you talking about?" The Homunculus snickered, wearing a wide smirk, "He's right here." Catching Ed in a state of confusion and distraction, he pushed upwards and uppercutted him with the crown of his cranium, causing the short blonde to let go and stumble back with a choked breath of pain, inevitably falling on his ass. "But who cares about that annoying brat anyways, when _I'm_ here~?"

"Wh-?!" The young teen tried to get to his feet to face him again, but his actions and voice were cut off when Greed grabbed him by the shoulders, picking him up and shoving him into the wall. Ed tried to push away, but the other's heavy body weight pinned the smaller, causing him to squirm beneath him and try to get a blow on him to knock him away.

"What's wrong, _Fullmetal?_ " Greed cocked an eyebrow at his distress and eagerness to escape, "I thought you were a State Alchemist. Are you scared because a _Homunculus_ has you cornered now?"

"Let me go!" Ed spat, kicking his feet with the small space that was provided between their legs, before the onyx-haired brute pressed their bodies flush against each other, closing any space provided as his hands locked onto the blonde's wrists, pinning his arms on each side of his head; the Elric brother was trapped, mentally and physically.

"Why should I?" The stalky Homunculus let a smirk curve onto his flawless features, "I haven't had enough fun with you yet."

"What are you...talking about?" Edward grunted out, still hopelessly trying to wriggle from his grip. He had no space to move; he couldn't transmute, punch, kick, or even slip out from beneath Greed, and he could feel his reinforced grip tightening around both his wrists, straining the automail.

"Aww," Greed leaned forward, his violet irises staring down and pinning the alchemist emotionally in those deep, lilac pools, swimming in the honey ones under him that were widened in sudden suspicious fear, "are you scared?"

"Let...go..." Ed breathed out, feeling the other dip closer and closer, practically tasting his warm breath in the final innocent moments as their eyes locked in a dominant battle to intimidate the other. He was unaware of his quickened pace of breath, and the shaking of his knees, as he tried to press his back further into the wall to avoid his contact, hoping he could just melt into the drywall and escape the scene...but he couldn't...and as the human-based Homunculus continued to creep closer to his face, the _unimaginable_ happened.

His lips were soft and warm, like no other's, and they danced softly on the smaller's, sapping his breath from his lungs with the softest kiss placed on the young alchemist. Sparks nipped under his skin, and his heart suddenly raced, causing his back to arch off the wall and press his chest against Greed's, ever softly feeling for his own heart beat. He didn't know if it was the fact that the weasel had caught him offguard, or something else that awakened in him, but his body began searching for more of that small feeling subconsciously as Greed slowly pulled their lips away from the short-timed kiss. The dark entity couldn't help but snicker as the child chased after his lips, giving him a dazed and confused look.

"...Your reaction is more amusing than I imagined." He purred, "Tell me, have you ever been kissed before?" Greed's words snapped Ed back into the reality he was thrown out of through a trance, and began to violently squirm again, trying to hide the red blooming on his complexion.

" _Fullmetal!_ "  
"Brother!"

The two familiar voices that cried out from down the dark halls, followed by storming feet and the clanking of metal, snapped Ed out of his misty mind, and, when the other was distracted by trying to see who was on the other side of the stretch, was able to wriggle up a knee and kick him away. Greed stumbled back with a small growl of frustration, before smirking in amusement to the look on the blonde's face.

" _This isn't over, Ed._ "

With a small whisper from the dark entity, he leaped back into the shadows of the rafters, right before Mustang and Alphonse turned around the corner of the hall, seeing a flustered and injured Edward.

"Brother!" Al rushed to his side, followed by the Flame Alchemist, who was searching his onyx gaze along the support beams for any signs of the attacker, right as he collapsed, "Are you alright?! You're bleeding!"

"It's alright," the older brother insisted, "just a scratch."

"It was Greed, wasn't it?" Roy turned to the younger State Alchemist, who nodded in reply as he held his bleeding wound across his abdomen, his younger brother helping him to his feet. "Don't worry, I'll try to find him. You two get back to your room immediately. I'll notify his guards."

As Al began escorting Ed back to their room, the blonde couldn't help but look back over his shoulder to the room he was previously spying on; neither of the two martial artists had appeared to separate the two, and the light the previously glowed through the cracks in the doors was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I was studying for finals, and since summer is coming up, I'll be able to post more chapters owo! Thank you for being patient, you guys!**

* * *

Morning seemed to hit Ed like a freight train, rolling in fast and crashing into him with immense force, knocking him out of his daze basked in moonlight. He didn't even get a blink of sleep last night, too busy thinking back on what happened last night with Ling-er...Greed. After Hawkeye patched up his scratches and went to find and support her colonel, he spent the night endlessly tossing and turning, and he could feel that Alphonse knew he wasn't getting any sleep. He was anxious, and with the homunculus invading his thoughts, he couldn't even close his eyes and relax without his words flooding into his empty thoughts like a water rushing through a broken dam:

 _This isn't over, Ed._

The homunculus never used his name when they were in Father's lab, and always called him "pipsqueak" and "runt" to tick him off, and rarely referred to anyone as their name. It felt kind of special to him, but in an empty way. An empty feeling, like the spaces between his nerves where his automail connected with his skin; never to be filled, and a little hopeless and dead. And just like those empty gaps, he didn't like to think about Greed's words that kept punching him in the head, and reminding him that this nightmare wasn't even close to being over.

A thump of heavy metal snapped the blond out of his thoughts, finding himself staring at the window across from his bedside that poured in morning light through the thick, velvet curtains, pulled apart to let the sun's brightness dance on the carpet and bed spread. He found his eyes on the tiny dust specks that floated and glittered in the rays, effortlessly falling from the undisturbed air and onto the floor.

"Brother," Al's disembodied voice gently nudged Edward from his daze yet again, "it's time to wake up. Ling made breakfast for us. He says he wants to see you at the table."

The older only groaned and buried himself further into the sheets, tucking his face into the cover as his golden tendrils of hair sprawled across the pillow in different directions, fallen loose from his braid. He had to admit, the queen-sized beds were far nicer than he'd slept on before.

"The colonel and lieutenant are waiting for us," the younger brother continued after a small pause. Ed could hear the empty suit of armor begin to approach the bedside, and felt the shift of weight on the mattress as he settled on the corner. "Aren't you gonna join them?"

"I don't feel good," Fullmetal tried to weasel his way out of seeing _him_ at the breakfast table, already imaging him trying to act nonchalant and have a meal with his company, when Ling knew full-well what happened last night. The image of the prince's face as he would gaze at the teen from across the table, filled with hidden knowledge, made his stomach flip, and, for a few moments, he legitimately felt ill.

"C'mon, Brother," Alphonse prodded on, and Ed mentally winced when he felt a leather glove compassionately touch his shoulder, "you'll get to eat my share, since I can't eat...since I'm just a hunk of metal..." The forced chuckle that escaped the little brother made the elder one wince visibly, making him flinch back as guilt suddenly washed over Edward, bringing tears to the corners of his eyes. He _hated_ being reminded of what he did. Because of his selfish actions, Al lost his body and he lost an arm and a leg, and they didn't even bring back their mother successfully. The weight of that crushed the older brother every day, seeing the walking-talking tin-can that was his brother's soul, bound to the chest plate by a frail blood rune. If _anything_ touched the rune, his soul would be lost _forever._ Maybe that was why he was so protective of his brother sometimes, and, when he was around him, acted more gentle and less hot-headed compared to others that tried to confront him; because he had mercy on him, and it was all _his_ fault that his brother had to suffer day after day, night after night, with no food, no water, and no sleep. He couldn't be a normal fourteen-year-old boy, and that was all on Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"I'm sorry," the timid, empty voice apologized, and a frown could be heard in his vocals, "I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Edward sniffed, and gained enough strength to roll over and sit up, the balled-up sheets falling off his shoulders and pooling around his waist as he propped his body up by his arms. "It's not your fault, Al," he insisted, offering a false smile as he reached out with his false arm and ran his metal fingers across the rigid shoulder plate of the suit of armor, "I'm just a little emotional right now. Of course I'll go to breakfast."

"...For me?"

Ed nodded, a strand of his long blond hair gently touching his eyebrow as the others followed suit, falling over his shoulder like a cascading, gold waterfall in the new sunlight. Sometimes, Al wondered if his hair would ever grow that long (when he got his body back. Suits of armor don't have hair).

* * *

The two brothers, after the older got dressed and braided his hair, marched through the long hallway they had previously been through last night. Alphonse, even though he couldn't eat, insisted on joining his brother at the table, as he thought it was rude not to join the meal. They weaved past corners until they got to their destination of two, tall-standing doors that beckoned for them to be pushed open. With a simple heave, the towering doorway opened up to them, blinding them with sparkling gold decor and silver platters that lined the long table, the smell of breakfast assortments filtering through the air and causing the atmosphere to linger heat from the bustling kitchen that worked hard to make this meal. Seated at the table was Roy, Riza, Lan Fan, Fu, Ling, and a few other unknown family members of the prince's family. They shot odd glances to the stalky piece of metal that stood at the threshold alongside the short alchemist, but the others that were familiar with the two offered smiles, including the colonel.

"You're finally up, Fullmetal," the Flame Alchemist teased with that shit-eating grin as he prepared his plate, sided by his trusted lieutenant and an empty chair reserved _just_ for the blond to sit at his other side. Ed's eyebrow twitched visibly in agitation, but with a gentle turn of Al's helmet, he only sighed and took a seat, joined by the younger. Honestly, the huge hunk of metal sitting at a dining table meant for humans made the Elric brother look severely out of place, especially when compared to his older brother, who was trying to get a little bit of everything from each platter. He just sat there and stared at his empty plate, knowing he couldn't eat, but pushed away the depressing thoughts of hunger and was just there to join the breakfast conversations.

"So," the prince spoke first, his mouth full of food, "how did you all sleep last night?"

Most of the breakfast attendees agreed that they slept quite well, while the Fullmetal Alchemist glared across the table at the Xingese teen, who had his squinted eyes focused on him. He was about to storm off with his plate, but Mustang seemed to catch the tension of his muscles building, and he gently pinched the younger alchemist's hip from under the table with unclothed his thumb and index finger, causing the blond to shoot a fiery glare at the onyx-haired man and inevitably relax his tension when he realized the warning he was giving him.

"What about you, Ed?" Ling smiled, looking like a nonchalant idiot with his hands folded in front of him. The mentioned teenager hesitated, before answering between gritted teeth.

" _Fine._ " His growl gained him another firm pinch at the side from the colonel, as if he was being privately scolded by a parent. Roy Mustang wasn't his parent, but he always treated him like a kid, ever since he joined the military.

"Hey, uh," a fairly-aged woman, most likely Ling's mother, spoke up, "Alphonse, is it?" She was looking directly at the steel suit that was settled snug in a chair way too small for the poor kid, and he responded with a small nod. "Why don't you take that armor off and have some breakfast, dear? There's no need to wander around these halls wearing that all day long."

The Elric brothers both tensed at her words, Ed almost choking on the scrambled eggs he hastily shoved down his throat and Al nearly kneeing the bottom of the table. They couldn't just explain to the poor lady, "oh, Alphonse's soul is eternally bound to this suit of armor". Ed was worried he might startle her, or possibly make her fear his younger brother, to making her think he was a ghost forever haunting his blood kin. Well, part of that was somewhat true.

"Alphonse can't take off his armor, ma'am," Roy broke through with that calm and gentleman-like voice, making the blond teen shoot another deadly glare at him, "it's his code of honor."

"Oh!" The woman nodded in understanding, "I see! Sorry to bother you on that note, then."

"I-It's fine," Al insisted with a small nod, and the room was filled with silence again. The only thing that broke through the quiet atmosphere was plates and silverware clattering together and the subtle munching of food, less subtle from Ling, who had the tendancy to shove _everything_ edible into his face _._ No wonder they made so much food.

After breakfast was over, and the maids began cleaning up the kitchen and table, Mustang began to chip through the silence with political discussions with Ling, while Hawkeye sat silently and observed the two. Ed simply stormed off, standing and shoving his chair into the table audibly before marching off in frustration, leaving his brother behind to join the boring conversations.

 _Who does Ling think he is,_ The alchemist's thoughts swirled around his unoccupied mind, filled with anger, p _utting me on the spot like that? What if I answered, "Yup, I didn't one blink of sleep because of what_ you _did,"? I should've embarrassed him in front of his whole family..._ Even though the prince didn't really put him on the spot, Ed was _seething_ about it. His short-temper seemed to match his height, and he would go off about the smallest things. Everything meant a lot to him, and he was quick to defend and snap about it with no hesitation. Not to mention, he _hated_ that idiot prince.

His thoughts were abruptly shoved out of his head when he felt a firm grasp ball up his black shirt, and was pulled back with no hesitation, whipped around by the ponytailed man that had a grip on him.

"Ed," Ling spoke calmly, "we need to talk about last night-"

"What's there to talk about?" Edward snorted and tried to shoulder him off, but the future emperor's strength was much more than he predicted and was simply pulled closer, narrowing his eyes down at the shorter.

"You know that wasn't me, Ed," his tone ducked down, but was just as meaningful, "That was _him._ I had no control over what he did to you."

"You could've told him to stop," the alchemist shot back.

"Trust me, I tried."

The expression Ling wore made the Elric brother's heart stop, and suddenly, he felt trust for his words; he looked _scared_. Well, maybe scared wasn't the right word. Hopeless, maybe? Whatever it was, it made him stomach churn, as their eyes locked in a small silence.

"...Thanks, Ling," he murmured, lightly grabbing the arm that held him by his shirt and prying it away from him, before turning and walking away. Something inside him told him he needed that apology from him, and decided to leave him at that.

But Ling had other plans; he grabbed Edward's metallic hand before it left his reach, letting it fall into his when he swung back in his walk, stopping the alchemist. The blond responded by turning around with a face contorted with confusion, but was pulled closer again voicelessly, the prince framing his jaw with his index and thumb to make him lock stares again. _Man_ , he could swim in those honey pools forever, but he didn't have that kind of time on his hands. Leaning in and bending slightly at the waist to meet his height, he pressed his lips against his, softly and silently. The grunt he earned from Ed couldn't help but make him grin in between the kiss, as the young teen only responded by tensing against him, unsure how to reply.

 _Those sparks._ The same sparks he felt last night, that rushed from the lip contact to Ed's nerve endings, causing his skin to prickle and his breath to hitch. He stood like a board, unable to relax with all these emotions and feelings washing over him at once. The only thing he could honestly process was how warm and soft Ling's lips were, much different than the cold and heartless kiss Greed had given him. The moment lingered, and that's when the inexperienced teen realized that the prince was _waiting_ , but...for what? Did he want him to pull away and shove him, turning his warm feelings into confused anger, or reply to the kiss with his own lips? He had never been kissed by anyone other than his mother, and even then the feelings that poured down on him were different from these.

Hesitantly, the blond leaned forward on his toes and pressed into Ling, his hands, shaking nervously, moving up to gently grasp onto his jacket to pull him close. He could feel the other's smile on his lips when he shakily kissed him back, and felt the weight of a deep kiss press him down, making his knees bend slightly.

To help him balance, the prince snaked one hand to Ed's waist, while the other cupped the back of his neck to entangle his fingers through his loosely-tied golden locks, maneuvering his lips skillfully around the young alchemist's. Since he was more experienced, he noticed every instinctual movement of the other, and could feel him quake and struggle to keep up. He didn't break the kiss until he felt his chest burn from lack of oxygen, and could tell Edward was in the same state when he pulled back.

"L-Ling, wait..." Ed panted as the raven-haired teen went in for another kiss, leaning away from him slightly, but he ignored his protests, and advanced on him once more, lightly nibbling his bottom lip. His weight of advancement pushed the alchemist back against the wall, ending up in the same position he was in last night with his encounter with the homunculus. It was true, the human and the beast that shared the same body weren't too different from each other; both were avaricious, and usually always got what they wanted, pursuing hopelessly until achieved, despite what others thought or who got in their way.

Ling wasn't just greedy. He was _ambitious_ , as well. He tried to deepen the kiss, but Ed's stubbornness to make it stop prevented it from happening, and the prince was beginning to grow frustrated, his patience running low. He brought one hand up in the space between the two and teased the hem of his shirt before gently trailing his fingers under the article of clothing and up his stomach. He noted the finely-toned muscles of his abdomen, and wondered how truly the boy was built; he may have been short, but his muscles said otherwise about the strength he held.

The golden-haired teen felt the other's cool fingertips track up his torso, causing him to wriggle under him and gasp for breath between their locked lips. Getting leverage on his elbows, he squirmed his hands out from under Ling's weight and drove his palms into the other's chest, pushing him away and ripping his lips from his.

The raven-haired Xingese stumbled back a little in surprise, and, seeing the flustered, angry face on Ed as he defensively brought his hands to his chest, realized he tread on unmarked territory.

Without giving time for Ling to apologize for his actions, the older Elric brother turned and stormed off down the hall, knowing the prince wouldn't dare to follow him. Still holding himself, he didn't stop showing agitation until he reached his room, opening the door and slamming it behind him.

He found himself alone now. The room was empty, and the only thing that accompanied the Fullmetal Alchemist was his thoughts, heavy gasps for breath, and the tiny flakes of dust that continued to dance in the sunlight that poured through the window, warming the room.

He had never felt so alone.


	5. Chapter 5

As quick as morning came, dusk settled over Xing, and a subtle quietness rang out through the large palace that the group of military dogs were staying at after the events that occurred just in the south hall from the dining area. Everyone seemed oblivious to it, but two people knew full-well what had happened that husky morning.

Ed was sitting in a bath, heat from the water wafting off the undisturbed surface and creating heavy precipitation on the large mirror hung over the sink, blurring the image of the pristine white tiles with a porcelain tub and the blond that sat among them. Water beads rolled off from his wet hair line to his dampened, heat-flushed face, off his temples and falling off an angle at his chin to return back to the body of water that swayed alone his waistline, as he stared at the relatively-clear water and the automail leg that was veiled in it. Longingly, he ran his human fingertips along his collarbone and curved down to the tissue that connected to the hot metal of his right arm, as if his arm had returned to him, and cupped his metallic shoulder that reflected the bathroom light when he felt warm steel instead.

Day after day, he had this endless hope. That he'd wake up and feel human again, not half bionic and dependent that today his automail wouldn't falter when he needed it. He didn't want to get involved in a fight like with Envy and Lust where his arm became defective, and he can't produce alchemy to fight, let alone fend off blows with one arm. He was lucky to escape that night, but next time he might not be so lucky, he could end up dead. And Al would be all alone...

Frustration suddenly washed over him, and he drove his fist into the water, causing it to splash back and hit his face, washing out the daze he was in and re-dampening his hair and uncovered torso. He gasped for air when the heat of the hot bath sucked it out from his lungs, and shuddered violently when a cold draft from the parted bathroom window above him ran its ghostly fingers across his cold skin. _He swore it felt like..._

He whipped around in the bath, twisting at the waist to gaze at the back of the tub, but found nothing but the sloshing water from his sudden movements lapping at the edge of the tub and the tile walls covered in precipitation. The suspicious feeling in his gut of someone else being in the room with him vanished with his relief to catch no sight of the black-haired teen. He turned back around and ran his hand across his stomach where the small scratches were healing, gently tracing the red trails visibly marked across his fair-toned skin, losing himself to the tepid bath and his thoughts.

After a few minutes of breathing in the hot air and daydreaming, the blond stood and slipped out of the bath, draining the water behind him and wringing out his long, golden hair as he stepped onto the bathroom mat. He let the lukewarm water droplets that clung to his small frame roll down his naked body as he stood leaned against the counter, examining his own face through the fogged glass; he had vague dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes lacked the determined glint it used to own. Wet tendrils of his hair clung to his face, making his weariness stand out and frame it against his young and flush complexion, making him frown at the obviousness his restlessness had gotten. He sighed and removed himself from the counter, grabbing a towel hung on the door and drying his automail, as instructed by Winry, and his hair thoroughly before wrapping his securely around his waistline. As instinct, he stuck up that antenna-like piece of hair in the front of his hair part where his bangs met, clapping his hands around it to make it strike up into the air, adding to his height, as he liked it.

The older Elric brother stepped out of the bathroom with a sigh, letting the huge plumes of steam that built up in his lengthy time of sitting in tepid water run out and escape into the dark bedroom. With a hand towel hung around his neck, he stretched his arms over his head and reached into the cool bedroom air, relaxing his tense muscles as he went to drop his towel and get changed, but heard a shift of the timid air and the covers _just barely_ rustle in the corner of the room. Quickly, he flicked the bedroom light on, illuminating the shadows and exposing the being hiding-...well, more like sitting blatantly on Edward's bed with his legs crossed.

" _Roy!_ " He shrieked and threw the small towel around his nape at the colonel, hitting him square in the face as a red blush crept up both their faces in the thought of just barely scathing a frightening scene. "What are you doing in here?! Don't you know how to knock, dumbass?! You almost scared the shit out of me!"

"Then get dressed already!" The Flame Alchemist shot back nervously, keeping the towel on his face to hide his eyes from the fifteen-year-old's nude body.

* * *

"Sorry," the raven-haired man finally sighed, removing the towel from his face and averting his gaze to the younger State Alchemist once he had pants on, "I didn't mean to intrude on you, but I came to tell you that Alphonse has gone missing as of late." His words immediately made the older brother perk up.

"..What do you mean?"

"Incredibly enough, we can't find a walking and talking suit of armor who owns the voice of a fourteen-year-old..."

"Where was it you last saw him?"

"At breakfast."

"He's...been gone for that long?" Ed's voice wavered.

Roy nodded silently.

"Do you think Lin-...Greed, did this?"

"No doubt," Mustang crossed his arms as he spoke, "unless Greed told the homunculi of your presence and had them kidnap him. There's no reason for him to run off...unless..." He trailed off, leaving the blond on the edge of his seat.

"...Unless?" He prodded impatiently.

"...Have you two been fighting as of recent?"

"Of course not!"

Well, that wasn't counting for Ed storming off and leaving him at the table this morning, but that wouldn't be a reason for him to vanish. Unless Al suddenly became sensitive about being abandoned at dining tables. Maybe he ran off to see May Chang and Xiao Mei in the neighboring Clan?

The colonel slid off the bed and stood abruptly, straightening his uniform coat that he refused to strip out of and into comfortable clothes to keep his high authority, even though he had none in the presence of a prince of a foreign country. "My lieutenant and I will help find Alphonse," he flashes his dark gaze towards Fullmetal once more, before heading to the door, resting his hand on the doorknob for a few moments before turning it, "but I suggest helping find your brother as well, before something _bad_ happens to him."

Before Edward could protest that he would've been on his way to finding Alphonse without his orders, he's gone, closing the door behind him, leaving the Elric brother in a lonely and silent atmosphere. He stood in the middle of the room, bare chested with his damp hair sticking to his back and shoulders, finding himself anxiously staring at the door, as if hoping that Al would walk through that door, safe and sound.

But nothing came. Only guilt and despair choked him, tightening a vice grip around his neck. Crushing his esophagus and popping his jugulars. Letting him gargle on the liquid sorrow that oozed from his broken veins. Guilt ran its claws across his chest, suffocating him dragging its fangs and blunt nails across his skin over and over again, tearing through his muscle until it reached his heart and gripped it between its jaws. Tears overwhelmed his sense of vision, blurring his surroundings like precipitation on the bathroom mirror.

" _DAMNIT, GREED!_ " His sudden scream tore through his chest and vocal cords, tears pouring down his face as he shoved his false knuckles straight into the footboard of the bed, causing the engraved and polished wood to splinter under the heavy force of metal.

"Whoa, no need to be so dramatic, tough guy."

That cold voice. _That wolf-like, bastardly, sickening voice_ came from the back of the room where the curtains were drawn and the shadows cowered was the _last_ thing Edward wanted to hear; was that _snarky-ass, shit-eating prick_ talking to him as if everything was cool. As if they were best friends.

The blond teen turned quickly in full rage, ready to punch the bastard's lights out, but found himself in an odd position instead; nose-to-nose with the smirking homunculus, their faces just inches away, with deep lilac pools staring directly at him.

"You're a pretty emotional kid, huh?" Greed snickered, hands tucked into his pockets, "You don't like it when people touch your _possessions._ "

Ed aimed a firm punch directly into his chest, but the onyx-haired beast skipped back before his fist could even skin his shirt, creating needed space between the two. " _What did you do with Alphonse, you bastard?_ " He demanded, fists clenched so tightly that his human knuckles were turning white.

"Don't worry," the taller insisted with a twist of his left wrist, "your brother's fine. He's just takin' a little side vacation."

Without warning, the Fullmetal Alchemist lunged at him, his iron fist ready to dive into the homunculus's jaw with a crack and send him flying, but, to his dismay, felt nothing but air waft through the spaces of his balled metal fingers. " _Too slow._ " A whisper hit his ear, and a carbon-enforced shoulder knocked into his rib cage and launched him onto the bed with a loud thud, causing him the wind to be knocked out of him. Unable to roll out fast enough, Greed jumped on him, straddling his waist and pinning his wrists to each side of his head, pushing him into the mattress.

"Let's have some fun, shall we, _Ed_?"

* * *

 **A/N: SHORT CHAPTER, but a good one uwu! I promise that the next chapter will be much longer huehue~**


	6. Chapter 6

_Shitshitshitshit-_

"What's with that look?" Greed let a wolf-like grin curve his features, "You look like I'm about to eat you. Am I _that_ intimidating?" He leaned in closer, closing inches off the space between their faces slowly.

 _Colonel, come back!_ Edward's thoughts swarmed in the back of his head, trying desperately to arch his back off the bed and get an angle to kick him off, but his weight was just making him sink further into the mattress, not to mention a much stronger homunculus having his arms pinned above him, making it impossible to even touch his nails to the headboard and create something that would forcefully remove Greed from him. Or the room entirely. _You bastard, don't leave yet! Help me!_ He was a sucker for superstitions and myths and things like that, but even he knew that trying to communicate to the Flame Alchemist via brain waves was impossible. But in a state of confusion like this, he was trying everything he got to escape the tenacious grasp of the beast.

"...Well," Greed shrugged, "the eating part sounds kinda fun. I might add it to my 'Things-To-Do-To-Edward-Elric' list." His voice being filled with insincere, half-joking sultry made the alchemist below him scoff and hiss, causing him to cackle.

"Shut up, you dirty bastard," Ed snapped over his laughter, causing the other's fit to dissipate almost immediately with drawn attention, "and tell me where Alphonse is!"

The homunculus frowned. "Like I said, he's taking a little _side vacation_ , so you don't need to worry about him getting in our way."

 _Our way? What the hell could he mean-_

"You look confused," he noted aloud with a small smirk, "All I'm saying is that he's safe and there's nothing to worry about. He'll be back in a matter of days." His tone insisted reassurance. The blond felt anything _but_ reassured.

"I don't wanna know whether he's coming back or not, I wanna know where he is!"

"What, so you can fetch him for yourself like the hero you are? And where's the fun in that?"

"It's not supposed to be _fun,_ you dumb fuck! My brother is missing and it's _you're_ fault!"

"I never said _I_ took him. I only know he's missing, why, and where."

" _Where is he?!_ " Edward was getting frustrated by being run in circles.

The Xingese man seemed to pause in hesitation, before sighing and slacking his shoulders a bit. "You're becoming _really_ annoying now, kid..."

"Why won't you-?!"

The young blond froze. The look on Greed's face was something he'd never seen before, and gave him a feeling deep in his stomach that wasn't pleasant, catching his words in his sternum; Greed's eyes, much like a predator's raking its gaze upon its prey, alone pinned him to the bed when they locked gazes, and his face was contorted with an emotion that border-lined agitation and lust, and Ed could feel the struggle his saliva was having to manage getting past the lump in his throat.

"That's much better," Greed let another wolf-like grin slide across his face at the apparent look of fear on Edward's face. Without any warning, he dove in and stole Ed's lips with his own, clashing fiercely into each other, causing the short blond to jump in surprise and his face to bloom a bright crimson hot on his cheeks.

Edward was an intelligent kid; a child prodigy. When we was young, he was able to decipher his father's alchemy books without any teaching, and taught his brother and himself how to use alchemy just out of some of Hohenheim's notes. He became a State Alchemist at the age of twelve, just four years ago. It didn't take long for him to look over the curtain of confusion Greed tried to veil him in as he was brought into a kiss, and used his prodigy skills to detach what was happening from their locked lips.

 _This isn't over, Ed._

Those words suckerpunched him in the back of his head, and the realization of what the homunculus was planning to do with him came barreling into him as well, right as the creature broke the kiss and angled his head to where his face was shrouded in the shadows cast by the lamp on the nightstand beside them, smirking widely. He must've been amused by the shocked look on FullMetal's face.

"So," Greed purred, "you finally figured it out. You're more perceptive than I thought, kid."

"But why me?!" The older of the Elric brothers suddenly raised his voice, his complexion growing even more flustered when his voice cracked under the pressure of the last word, "You obviously prefer the other gender, so what are you jumpin' on me for?!"

"Because," the avarice parroted the exasperated whine in the alchemist's young vocals held, and dipped his cranium down, his onyx bangs skimming across Ed's exposed chest and causing his skin to twitch in a ticklish reaction to the contact, "I'm Greed, the Avaricious. I enjoy both sides of the coin. _"_ He snickered and planted a kiss on his sternum. "Besides, the FullMetal Alchemist has a better position _under me._ " His lips danced on his tepid skin as he spoke, hovering right above the epicenter of his heart. His words made the blond grimace visibly, contorting his face of shock into a grim expression of terror and slight disgust. Was that really how he thought about him? Surely, Ling didn't see him like that-

 _Ling!_

"Ling!" Edward unexpectedly called out to the human buried beneath the coarse exterior of the homunculus, beginning to thrash his whole body, "Ling, please, help me! I know you're in there, just take control already and-"

Ed didn't expect the obsidian-haired boy to release one of his arms and deck him in the jaw with a carbon-reinforced fist, his thrashing going slack almost immediately as the sudden force snapped his head to the side. He couldn't see straight anymore, and he gasped for breath when his pain came reeling into his sore face, the sharp taste of metallic from his bleeding gums pungent on his breath now; he guessed Greed aimed to knock one of his teeth out, but it surely knocked some sense into him, and he subsided his tantrum with that warning blow. When he turned his head back to spit blood back at the man, he's met with _furious_ eyes that freeze him in place, only now noticing the blood flow cut from his organic wrist with the homunculus's one-handed iron vice on both his arms when all he can feel is irritated fear running through his veins.

"It's _Greed_ ," he reminds in a dark, angered tone, "Ling's not here and he's not coming back, so shut up about that piss-ant already and behave." He used his newly-freed hand to give a sharp tug on Ed's hairline, bunching up snarled golden bangs in his fist, and the alchemist replied with a sharp cry and a glare armed with volatility. He was privately adding to his mental list of "Reasons-To-Kill-Greed-And-Ling".

" _You're gonna pay,_ " The blond seethed between heavy intakes of air to his burning lungs and his clenched teeth, but Greed isn't phased by his threat; he just laughs and dives his free hand straight to Ed's clothed crotch, palming it to elicit a surprised inhale from the other.

"That's right," Greed grinned, amusement snapping through anger, "you're little colonel is gonna jump in and save the day, right? Or, maybe your brother? How about that smokin' lieutenant? Are you counting on her to fill me up with bullet holes?" His voice was growing more and more irritating to Ed, but he couldn't focus on his anger with a blunt hand kneading his cock through his tight leather jeans. He couldn't tell anymore whether the atmosphere was making him sick or actually turning him on, but either way, he was getting a twisting feeling in his stomach that made him squirm and bite his lip. " _But not after I'm through with you,_ " His voice crept up into the air and lingered there for a few moments, causing the bruise forming on his chin to throb and Ed's head to spin. He couldn't breathe; Greed's voice alone was suffocating him, pressing down on his rib cage and squeezing his lungs, and his canine-sharp grin alone was clutching his throat and crushing his airways. He couldn't tear his gaze off the man above him, and didn't notice that his fastener was undone until Greed's hand left his groin, and it took him a few moments to register the ripping of the seam on his pants. He craned his neck, and noticed Greed was _literally_ tearing the leather off his legs using his only pair of claws he had to easily shred the material. Kind of impressive, but otherwise unorthodox.

"What the _Hell_?! Greed, you asshole!"

The homunculus snapped his gaze up at the mention of his name, followed by a not-so-formal nickname.

"Those were a perfectly-good pair of leather pants!" Edward began ranting about the torn article of clothing, "I paid good money for those!"

"Oops."

"' _Oops_ '?! That's all you have to say?!"

Greed only shrugged, and Ed let out an exasperated groan, slamming his head back into the pillow.

"I'll get you a new pair," the Xingese homunculus promised softly, escorting the rest of the torn fabric over his knees. For a moment, the alchemist felt sincerity in his voice, and a warm comfort ran another shudder down his spine. Was he...having different thoughts on this? The feeling didn't last for long, especially when he found the other smirking evilly at him.

"I didn't know you'd fret over little things like clothes," he mused, "You've got such the tackiest taste of fashion, I can't help myself but want to tear them right off your little body."

" _WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' LITTLE?!_ " Ed brought his metal leg up and kicked him in the shoulder, Greed obviously unprepared for the assault as he winced visibly with the crack of bone against steel. He tried to pull back quickly before he got a hold of his leg, but he didn't have much an advantage to do so being pulled so far down onto the mattress, and now the homunculus had already grabbed his ankle and thrown it over his shoulder, consequentially spreading the blond's legs for him.

"Thanks," Greed purred and scooted closer to him, sliding his hand from where metal met skin on his leg to his waist in one fluid moment and gently hooking his thumb between the waistband of his boxers. Edward hissed and turned his head away, trying to twist his arms from his grip so he could cover his embarrassed face, as the homunculus slowly pulled the last article of clothing that clung desperately to his hips, taunting him.

"W-Wait!" The alchemist blurted a last-minute protest, causing Greed to comply out of curiosity, but his face told him to make it quick, " _Equivalent Exchange._ "

"What about it?" Well, that managed to bring his attention off his boxers and on to him, causing Ed to sigh with relief.

"Equivalent Exchange," he repeated, "one piece of clothing, for another."

"...So, you want me to strip, too?" The homunculus cocked an eyebrow, and FullMetal nodded quickly. Not only would it make him more comfortable with this, but it would spare him some time to think before the events that were to come. These were the last few moments he would have without a clear mind tonight.

But, the Xingese man didn't move. He was staring at the other's plain-white boxers fix fit loosely on his pelvis that jutted out of his skin defiantly, his hand still tugging slightly on the waistband, as if contemplating whether to go with Ed's words or just continue with his own thing. He began weighing his options: if he just continued to strip the kid bare, he would get an earful from him the whole ride, but at least it'd be over with and all his curious desires would be relieved. However, if he agreed with the teenager's firm belief, it was more likely he would comply and make things much more fun. Finally, he groaned in defeat and took his leg off his shoulder, still positioned in the space between his thighs as he shouldered off his trench coat and let it drop to the floor with a gentle flutter of heavy cloth.

Edward had seen this body without sleeves on before, and had even seen Ling bare-chested, since the leeching prince refused to wear a shirt under that obnoxious yellow jacket, but this time was different looking at it from a different angle and perspective of the atmosphere. He was suddenly flustered by the sight, especially when Greed moved to unbutton his white shirt, his movements almost hypnotizing. Caught in a haze, he didn't reach up with his freed arms and use his alchemy on the creature; his arms and shoulders were still sore from being stretched upward over his head for so long, not to mention his wrist may have been sprained from such a tight grip the homunculus had. He became deep in thought, thinking maybe, _just maybe_ , if he let this happen without kicking and screaming, Greed would give him information about where Alphonse was. Besides, he was too preoccupied watching the older of the two pull his shirt sleeves off his back and tossing the crumpled piece of clothing to the floor to really think about fleeing.

 _What are you doing?!_ Ed's conscious yelled at him, _You should be fighting him! Come on, fight! This is your chance to escape!_

 _But, if you don't, there's a better chance in finding Al,_ argued another side from another corner of his mind.

 _You don't want your first time to be spent with some jackass who's sexually frustrated! What about Winry?!_

 _She never liked you more than a friend. You consider her more of a sister._

 _You're so dense! She likes you way more than a friend, not how some greedy prince does. This is a one-time thing, face it._

 _But you need to save Al! Just-_

"What'chya thinkin' about?" Greed chimed in between his mental battle with an uninterested tone despite his curious inquiry, snapping him out of his train of thought to stare at his hands fumbling slowly with his belt buckle that secured his pants to his hips.

"I want to make a deal with you," Ed's words immediately made the homunculus freeze. He glanced up, suddenly interested in what he had to say, "If I do this for you...if I let you have your way with me...you tell me where you're hiding Al." His face immediately blistered into a red-hot blush, hearing his own words pour into his ears, and even more in embarrassment at the wide smile that curved the artificial human's facial features.

" _Oooh~?_ " He cooed with bright eyes and leaned forward, getting personally close to him with that winning smirk of his, "You want to make a deal with _me_ , the Avaricious?" The alchemist responded with a shaky nod, and the avarice's face brightened with a form of glee that wasn't palpable. "Alright, I accept, "he nodded and reeled back.

"Okay-"

"On _one_ condition," he interrupted sharply, slipping his buckle out of its clasp and letting his pants relax its pent-up tension adhering to his midriff, the flaxen-haired boy gulping audibly at the ominous sight. He hooked his thumbs into the band of his trousers, and slowly wriggled out of them. Being in such an awkward position, he was making this more erotic than he should have. "You have to satisfy me enough in order to get info outta me, got it? That means use _all_ your mind and body to the fullest extent tonight. Let loose. Get into it. Don't try and fake it, or else _I'll know._ "

"But what if I can't?" The alchemist was quick to make a point, but the look Greed was casting on him told him he had a far-wider arsenal of comebacks ready for him, "I never wanted this in the first place! How can I be-"

" _Everyone wants something they don't have,_ " the homunculus whispered as his hands trailed down Ed's abdomen, and the half-pint shuddered in return. His words confused him, but he didn't have time to pull apart his statement, as he swiftly went back to work on his boxers, practically tearing the fabric right off his body. The alchemist let out a yelp in revelation and split his gaze off of the ebony-haired man in embarrassment, resisting the human instinct of concealing himself with something from his gnawing stare. He could feel his eyes on every inch of his bare body now, and it was diminishing his pride, even more so when he tried to focus on Greed's far-superior chest and muscles.

"Small," Greed purred, "and in more ways than one." He raised his eyebrows a little as his eyes shamelessly swept across his lower regions, to where his slightly-hard prick was. Edward hissed at the comparison to his height _and_ his genitalia, and aimed to kick him again with his more human leg. Before he could begin his angry rant about his height, the homunculus caught his leg mid-kick and hung it over his shoulder, placing him in the same position as he was before their minor dispute about Equivalent Exchange. Except, this time, it was more embarrassing than before, being fully exposed to Greed like this. He turned his head away and bit his cheek, his face flaring a hot pigment that made the entity cackle softly.

"There's nothing wrong with it," he reassured, shifting closer to the boy with a small smirk. "It's kinda cute, actually." He placed one hand on the blond's thigh propped on his shoulder, and snaked the other around his small cock, giving a small squeeze and eliciting a solid and audible intake of air from the younger. He snickered at his response, and loosely began stroking him off, watching the teen's change of expressions from irritation to lust, to frustration and bitten-back voices.

"Like I said," Greed angled his body forward and whispered, "get into it. Don't hold back that beautiful voice of yours, if you want my info on your brother." A smirk polished his manipulative tone, and Ed gritted his teeth in frustration. His mind was screaming at him to fight back; his hands were freed, so why hadn't he socked him already? Because everything was on the line for this: his brother's life.

Edward groaned between pants as Greed's hand twisted at an angle that made his hips buck into his hand on instinct, and he flinched when he realized what he had done. He covered his mouth with the back of his flesh hand, while the prosthetic digits curled into the bed sheets beside the pair as the homunculus's stroke rhythm increased slowly with eased practice. He ran his thumb across his tip numerous times, giving loving squeezes and moving his hand slower to tease him, fluctuating in his speed.

"G-Greed..." He hissed in frustration when his hand slowed, causing the man to stop entirely with his fist tightly curled around the throbbing flesh; he elicited a squeezed-out groan from Ed, "M-More..."

After a small pause, the homunculus obliged with a wide smirk, his stroke suddenly picking up a vicious rhythm that racked Ed's body into choked moans and whimpers. He finally got him to beg.

Faster, harder. Ed's head was spinning with such friction, and almost lost it when the obsidian-haired fiend took his lips into his own voraciously after forcefully throwing his hand off his mouth, prying open the pair of soft tissue and plunging his tongue into the lukewarm cavern, exploring every inch. The alchemist moved his hands around Greed's nape and clawed at his shoulder blades, digging his metallic fingertips into his cold skin and drawing four red welts parallel to each other across his back, as his tongue obeyed to the homunculus's orders and began to dance gracefully around the pink muscle. All of this was happening so fast, and each movement lingered on his skin like a burn, as if Greed was moving faster than his body could register. A coil of tight pressure was tightening in his stomach, burning through his veins like fire, wanting escape. He couldn't take anymore of it, he just-

Edward trembled violently and arched his back off the bed as that bundle of tight energy was released in one, orgasmic wave, causing him to rip his lips from Greed's and tip his head back to let a cry escape the depths of his throat. A voice he thought he could never produce caused the homunculus to snicker and lick a bead of sweat that was rolling down the valley of the contortion of the blond's face as he tried to gather his breath. He could feel something warm and sticky dribble onto his stomach and slide down his member, some of it caught by the older's hand still wrapped around his limp cock. After a few moments of collected panting, Greed removed his hand from Ed's groin and lapped up the white substance from his palm and fingers, making a burning eye contact with the one below him that he could simply not break from, no matter how much the scene made him quiver in both fear and anticipation, and he subconsciously licked his dry lips and swallowed needed saliva to quench his dry throat.

"That didn't take you long," Greed purred, planting a kiss on Edward's bruised lips, giving the kid a sample of what he tasted like.

"Yeah, whatever," the alchemist growled between draws of oxygen. "A deal's a deal. Tell me where Alphonse is." As he tried propping his body up on his elbows, the Xingese stopped his advancement to get up by pushing down on his chest. The blond easily gave way to the weight asserted on him, looking confused.

"Ah, _about that..._ "

"...What?!" Edward immediately raised his voice in outrageous protest. "We made a deal, Greed! I let you fuck me, and then you tell me where my brother is! You can't back out now, you asshole!" The dominating man blocked a foretold kick to his ribcage with an exhausted sigh.

"I'm afraid our deal isn't quite sealed," he spoke calmly, despite the smirk that threatened to cross his lips. "You haven't satisfied me to the fullest yet."

"What does that-"

"You look pretty tired from all that exercise, kid," Greed sat up, pulling up an arm until his elbow met a ninety-degree angle, "so it's gonna be hard for me to explain at the moment. Maybe you should just sleep on this."

" _GREE-_ "

With a singing pain that dove straight into his face, everything went black.

* * *

 **A/N: OH MY GOD THIS IS SO LATE IM SO SORRY! But its here now! You're neighborhood-friendly lemon uvu next chapters will be coming out soon!**


End file.
